Carbapenemase-producing GNB: The Nightmare Bacteria Are Here to Stay

Carbapenemase-producing Gram-Negative Bacilli are the latest public health threat, spreading rapidly across the globe in the last decade. The Chicago region has experienced a growing outbreak of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing Enterobacteriaceae, especially within post-acute care facilities. In addition to KPC, other carbapenemases (NDM, OXA-48) have also been identified from Chicago patients through surveillance screening cultures. This webinar will discuss recent outbreaks of carbapenemase-producing GNB, along with different techniques clinical microbiology laboratories can utilize to screen suspicious isolates for carbapenemase production, and the role that post-acute care facilities play in regional spread of those organisms.